A team is traveling to Baie de Tortue, to spend time with Pastor Agones school, College Ralph C. Tuthill, which we call Village School East. This school is in a very poor area of Ansagale on the island of La Gonave. Most of our mission focus has been on Ti Palmeste up in the mountains, but I had a calling to spend time in this area. After I spoke to Pastor Agones to see if we could set up CHE (community, health and evangelism/education) for his children's families, he gave me the sad news that an eleven year old girl had just died due lack of sanitation. Her three year old sister was also very ill and could not afford treatment in Port au Prince. Ed and I sent money to help her, and committed to doing what we could for these people.
This is an area of extreme lack of education and resulting poverty. Families are very large, often 12 or 14 , and only one or two will go to school. Pastor Agones grew up here with parents so poor that he had to have a stepfather care for him. His bio is on the blog. We admire the fact that he has devoted his life to helping the other children here in Baie de Tortue.
The team will include members of Estero United Methodist Church, who have an mission on the mainland of Haiti. This will be their first time on the island of La Gonave. In addition to the health and hygiene training, we will also spend a day with the school kids,who are learning English. We will also evangelize and spread the good news of Jesus!
Please pray for this mission!
----Sally Ritter
